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Thanksgiving is upon us, and holiday season is about to begin in earnest. Americans across the country are preparing to reunite with loved ones and revel in cherished traditions. As a time to celebrate, share gratitude, and fortify family bonds, Thanksgiving and the holidays present a wonderful annual opportunity for both older and younger generations to share experiences and forge new memories together.
Even though older Americans are often at the heart and soul of holiday traditions, rarely do the dinner table conversations center around their day-to-day lives. Does anyone take into consideration that our older, retired family members face daily annoyances of their own, such as dealing with the headache-inducing Medicare enrollment process?
Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) ends on December 7 – in the midst of holiday season. While Americans of all ages are jumping on Black Friday deals or scouring the aisles for the perfect holiday gift for a loved one, an important deadline for older Americans fast approaches. If any of the over 64 million older Americans who are enrolled in Medicare would like to switch their plans – perhaps because their health status might have changed in the previous year, or they hope to save money with a new plan – they must do so by this December 7 deadline.
It should come as no surprise that many older Americans struggle to stay abreast with AEP each year. Medicare enrollment can be overcomplicated, burdensome, and time consuming for millions of beneficiaries. Many throw up their hands and accept their current plans because the plan-switching process can seem daunting.
During the holiday season, older Americans should be focused on relaxing and spending quality time with loved ones. Instead, they are often bombarded with excessive cold calls from Medicare plan salespeople and subject to aggressive Medicare marketing tactics. These salespeople are incentivized to sell as many plans as possible before December 7, and their incessant outreach can disrupt the holiday cheer for millions of beneficiaries.
This issue is only growing, as well. Complaints regarding the marketing for Medicare Advantage plans more than doubled from 2020 to 2021, according to a new report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. In extreme circumstances, some salespeople called older Americans around 20 times per day to try to convince them to switch their Medicare plans.
It’s unfortunate that the end of Annual Enrollment Period lies right in between Thanksgiving and the holidays, but this timing presents an interesting opportunity for open dialogue. Talk with older family members about how they enroll in Medicare. Listen to their struggles and let them know that technology exists to make the entire Medicare enrollment process easier.
Making the enrollment process easier is one of the reasons I entered the Medicare space. Hella Health is an easy-to-use, effective digital advocate that helps Medicare beneficiaries all along their Medicare journeys. As a fully online platform, it removes the annoying sales calls and marketing ploys from the equation – older Americans are matched to their most ideal plan options in just a few minutes.
Using Hella Health, it’s easy to incorporate Medicare enrollment and plan switches into busy holiday schedules, leaving older Americans with one less thing to worry about. This Thanksgiving and holiday season, we want to make sure that our grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles receive the best gift of all – time spent with family, and not Medicare enrollment.
Author Bio: Rafal Walkiewicz is the CEO and founder of Hella Health, the first 100% digital platform built to educate and enroll customers in Medicare plans. Rafal has a track record as a thought leader in the insurance industry. His innovative thinking and expertise in insurtech trends set him apart as a disruptor in a sector where change is long overdue. You can read some interviews here: https://bit.ly/3bMhGhz and https://bit.ly/3vVjzj0
